Nuts About Soy Butter

There was a time when peanut butter was banned entry in our fridge because it triggered the rise of our adolescent bestie, the zit. Poor Peter Pan and Jif had to live a life of neglect along with the vegetables, as we favored cheese and eggs for our sandwiches.

Lately though, Peanut Butter has slowly been making its way back in our sandwiches, being protein-deprived most of the time. Lounging around the supermarket aisles and reading nutritional labels of peanut butter brands gave me a pretty clear direction on future purchases.

Actually, the peanut butter mantra is rather simple (I apologize in advance for committing treason):

•  NO to local brands, unless you want a weekly visit to the dentist (and we do admit that an annual visit is already a pain).


• As for foreign commercial brands, NO to Goober and my childhood sweetheart, Peter Pan.


• YES to Skippy Natural (the one with "no need to stir" printed).


• YES to Laura Scudder Organic Peanut Butter (love)!


• MAYBE to PB Co. Dark Chocolate and Green Tea Peanut Butter because they're new and I only bought them because they're so kawai and cheap!


• Last but not the least, NEVER to crunchy peanut butter! Damn, you make chewing such a difficult task!

[caption id="attachment_964" align="aligncenter" width="819" caption="I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter and Skippy Natural"][/caption]

By default, the calories and fat level of peanut butter are normally high, so for those seeking a "healthier" option, go for an ingredient list that shows mainly Roasted Peanuts, as is the case for organic brands like Laura Scudder.

In the supermarket though, I've found that Skippy Natural already presents the least damaging nutritional data with 190 calories, 18% Saturated Fat and 3g sugar for every 2 tablespoons. That serving isn't particularly diet-variety, so you can probably imagine that what to expect from other brands: flab or an early death.

Healthy Options, the store, provides other " nut butter" categories that are health-friendly but on the budget-averse side. Seriously, I am still in the process of saving up for the almond butter, which costs as much as a facial (see why I'm torn) so I've settled for an interesting alternative: SoyNut Butter.

I.M. Healthy Soy Nut Butter has a dubious sound to its name and blue jar but with 170 calories, 8% saturated fat and 3g sugar for 2 tablespoons and without a speck of NUT, it's an adolescent's dream cream. Soybeans replace the nuts, so the protein content isn't compromised. For anti-nuts, pimply kids or soy aficionados, here's the sandwich spread we've been looking for (I'm the anti-nut, soy aficionado).

[caption id="attachment_965" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="(Left) I.M. Healthy and (R) Skippy Natural"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_963" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="I.M. Healthy Soy Butter, Peanut-Free!"][/caption]

Don't expect it to taste like peanut because it's soy. The soy butter resembles the texture, color and overall "feel" of peanut butter but with hints of the soy flavor.

Don't know what this "soy flavor" I'm talking about? Think soy milk or taho (for the Pinoys) and incorporate that taste with peanut butter.

Weird? Not really, my stash is half empty already.

Whether it's peanut butter or soy or even to-die-for almond butter, what's important is that every jar contains mainly these nuts or soybeans and less of the non essentials (like sugar, salt and other ingredient we more than 3 syllables). Even if I did look like a fool reading every jar in the grocery, I'm glad I found what I wanted: Skippy Natural and I.M Healthy Soy Butter. 

Glad to have you in my fridge. Now if only we can keep you long enough.

Bob's Red Mill: Grainy Goodness

Whole grains and muesli are uncommon breakfast choices in the Philippines where fried rice, fried egg and fried beef rule the tables, menus and everyone's wish list. Lately the cereal market has been booming, owning an entire aisle in supermarkets which is a great improvement, compared to yesteryear when I practically had to kneel to get a sight of a cereal box. Catered mainly to kids though, the market is fraught with cartoon characters, free toys and sugar.

Where'd the whole grains go? Most of you don't but I do.

Meandering through S&R, I came across these 2 whole grain cereals that were promising in their see-through bags and well, were definitely inexpensive! Okay, I admit it was the cheap part that caught my attention.

Meet Bob's Red Mill 10 Grain Hot Cereal and Old Country Style Muesli. 

Do not be fooled by the 10 Grain Hot Cereal's mini pellets that might resemble poultry feed. Let's just refer to them as crushed oats - sounds better, right? The entire mix is composed mainly of Whole Grain Wheat, Whole Grain Rye, Whole Grain Triticale, Whole Grain Oats, Oat Bran, and loads more of Whole Grain ingredients, including heart friendly Flaxseed. There is definitely no whole wheat deprivation in this package and thus the underlying feature we all love: rich in fiber! A serving boasts of 5g of fiber (25% daily value) that surely tops the fiber content of boxed cereals. A serving (1/4 cup dry) also imparts only 140 calories, 1g Total Fat and no sugar. 

Don't expect the porridge to taste like chocolate pudding though. It took me several attempts to microwave it properly to achieve a smoother blend and at times, mixed it with banana and soy milk to greatly improve the texture and flavor.

And this brings me to Old Country Style Muesli. Again, another whole wheat bonanza with Whole Grain Wheat, Date Crumbles, Sunflower seeds, Raisins Whole Grain Rye and Whole Grain Barley topping the ingredient list. A serving (1/4 cup) provides 5g of sugar, inevitably contributed by the dried fruits. It's so good and heartwarming though, it beats other muesli brands with its nutritional content: 110 calories, 3g Total Fat and 4g Fiber. 

There is of course a reason why they were bought and featured at the same time: I mix the two cereals for breakfast! Thus, sugar is limited, the flavor is shared and I get the perfect texture - a combination of almond crunch, fruity smoothness, a bit of chewy from the flaxseed and tender bites from the oats. This comforting meal does not even call for milk, banana or my favorite cinnamon. It tastes great on its own and with the Omega-3 and Fiber filling every meal, it makes the perfect breakfast.

Oh, and dinner too, if you're as weird as me.

Learn the Math

We've decided to list the acceptable threshold (synonym for limit, maximum) for every unit or nutrient, to filter the bad blood from the junkie universe and to commend the nutrition keepers. Stay within the radar and get to enjoy your snacks, guilt-free! Go overboard and get ready to roll down the hill of nutrition and healthy arteries.